NJUGU KARANGA

There is just something special about home made food. Whether it be a simple sandwich, a full main dish meal or snack, nothing beats knowing that you put a labour of love into the food you are eating. Most times the meal tastes a bit sweeter than eating outside. I love nuts and Peanuts are my favorite, especially the small red Peanuts, they always taste better than all the other kinds. So mom traveled up country and as is the norm, they would not let her travel back without the usual 'gunias' sacks of food. Peanuts never miss from all the food that grandmother packs for her to bring back to the city. Roasting Peanuts is an art form that I would like to think that I have mastered over the years. It takes patience because you cannot rush perfection. If you cook on too high heat, the Peanuts will burn and be raw on the inside.There are many ways of roasting Peanuts but this recipe is how I have been roasting them for years and it works for me. But it requires a LOT of patience!The Peanuts come out crunchy and completely cooked on the inside. They may seem raw because there are no burn marks on the Peanuts but trust me, they are perfectly cooked. We call these awesome snacks Njugu in Swahili, they are one of the many famous Kenyan Street foods. You can buy ready made or you can decide to roast them so that you can give them the attention they deserve. The best part of roasting Peanuts/Groundnuts is EATING them! Go ahead grab some homemade crunchy Peanuts. Follow along on this journey on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Ingredients

4 Cups Raw Peanuts/Groundnuts
1 Cup Water
3/4 Cup Salt

Method

-Heat a heavy bottomed Pan/Skillet
-Pour the raw Peanuts/Groundnuts on the pan. Pour in the water

-Add the Salt over the Peanuts/Groundnuts

-Do not worry that the salt is too much, the more the better since you want the peanuts to absort the salt

-Mix the Water, Salt until the mixture has formed a paste that coats all the Peanuts/Groundnuts

-This is how the mixed Peanuts/Groundnuts with the Salt and Water paste

-Start with the heat on high for a few minutes. Keep tossing and turning the Groundnuts/Peanuts until you start seeing the Salt and Water Paste starts to fall off the Peanuts/Groundnuts

-As you can see, the Salt and Water paste is coming off the Peanuts/Groundnuts. Reduce the heat to very low. At this point you can toss and turn the Peanuts/Groundnuts for a few seconds. Leave it to cook for a few minutes. Then Toss and turn the Peanuts/Groundnuts again. Repeat this process every few minutes

-As you continue to toss and turn the Peanuts/Groundnuts, you will notice that the Salt is starting to separate from the Peanuts and staying at the bottom. The color of the Salt will no longer be white but ash grey

-At this point as you continue to toss and turn with a spoon, you will begin to hear the Peanuts/Groundnuts start to crackle. The Peanuts/Groundnuts will start emitting a delicious aroma. A sign that you are almost done roasting the Peanuts is that the skins will start to split

-You can also check whether the Peanuts/Groundnuts are done by taking one and pressing between your fingers. The Peanuts/Groundnuts skin should come off immediately

-That is what you want. Skin literally sliding off thePeanuts/Groundnuts when you press

-Pour the now roasted Peanuts/Groundnuts on a metal tray since they are still very hot

-This is the salt residue that remains after you have completed roasting the Peanuts/Groundnuts

-Spread the roasted Peanuts/Groundnuts evenly on the metal tray so that they are evenly distributed. They will still keep on crackling as they cool

-Perfectly roasted Peanuts/Groundnuts. Crunchy! Crunchy! Crunchy!

Perfect as a snack or breakfast delicacy

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NJUGU KARANGA (ROASTED PEANUTS)

by Mulunga Alukwe August-11-2017

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Raw Groundnuts/Peanuts
• 1 Cup Salt
• 3/4 Cup Water

Instructions

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet/panAdd the raw groundnuts/peanut into the heated panAdd water. Add SaltStir well until all the ingredients are completely combined. It will form a paste like mixture as the salt coats the raw groundnuts/peanutsStart to vigorously stir the raw peanuts on the medium high heat until the salt starts to fall off the groundnuts/peanutsReduce the heat to very low and keep stirring the raw groundnuts/peanuts occasionallyContinue to stir and you will notice all the slat has separated from the groundnuts/peanuts and gone to the bottomOnce you start to hear a crackling sound, then you will know the groundnuts/peanuts are almost done. Keep stirring at intervals and letting the peanuts cookTake one groundnut/peanut and squeeze between your fingers. If the skin effortlessly comes off then cook further for a few more minutesKeep checking how fast the skin comes off the groundnut/peanut by squeezing the skin off. Taste and if the groundnut/peanut is crunchy when you bite into it, then it is ready to come off the heatRemove from heat and pour into a metal serving dish or pan and spread out the groundnuts/peanuts. Leave for 15 minutes until the crackling stopsPour the cooked njugu karanga (roasted peanuts) in an airtight container. They can be stored for up to a week and retail their crunch

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 2 hour Total time: 2 hour 15 mins Yield: 4 Cups